


Fondness

by ch3ckmat3y



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy, The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Awkwardness, Confessions, Developing Relationship, First Kiss, Fluff, M/M, Teasing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-30
Updated: 2020-12-30
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:41:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,187
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28439292
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ch3ckmat3y/pseuds/ch3ckmat3y
Summary: Luke and Din are playing a game of Dejarik. Din isn't paying attention, and Luke finds out why.
Relationships: Din Djarin/Luke Skywalker
Comments: 29
Kudos: 375





	Fondness

**Author's Note:**

> My first work in the Star Wars fandom. It's pretty intimidating to write these characters. I tried my best. Hopefully, they are in-character.
> 
> This is part of some headcanon AU I have where Luke trains Grogu a bit then decides to join Din sailing around the galaxy, saving people, searching for jedi (the found family business). The sequel trilogy may or may not still happen. (Probably doesn't.)

Din is not paying attention, and Luke knows it.

He’s felt the Mandalorian’s focus sliding away since the beginning, and as he begins his explanation of this round, he’s certain the other is not even looking at the play-out game of Dejarik in front of them. Luke doesn’t even have to look up to confirm his suspicion. His instincts tell him that Din isn’t listening to a word he’s saying.

“This was the fatal miscalculation,” Luke continues, gesturing toward the circular board between them. Even without Din’s attention, he can’t stop his coaching, if only to satisfy himself. “You lost sight of the trap I had laid for you--” He points at two of the holographic creatures on the board. “Here.” He’s smiling now, pleased with his own cleverness because there's gratification in a victory, even when playing against a novice. “Do you see it?” Luke asks, looking up at Din.

Din’s not watching the board, and it’s no surprise. Luke’s senses warned him of the other’s attention wandering. But he expected Din to be staring at Grogu, sleeping peacefully in the hover pod a few feet away. He was definitely not anticipating the unmasked, steady gaze fixed on his face.

“No,” Din admits without hesitation, admitting his inadequate skills.

Luke laughs and tosses his head to flip hair out from his eyes. “If you don’t pay attention, it won’t make sense.”

“I know,” Din agrees in the vague, barely-there tone, and Luke feels a frown forming at his lips.

“Stay focused next time if you want to beat me,” he suggests, looking away from the other’s continued gaze as he presses a button on the side to reset the game. “What’s the point of bringing the game if I have no one to play with...”

“Luke,” Din says, his voice dropping into a strange, lower resonance.

“Yes?” Luke says, making the first move for another game before he looks back up to Din. “What is it?”

Luke is famous for his superior reflexes. He’s a jedi, after all, has dedicated countless hours to training his skills with the force, which he makes great use of traveling the galaxy with Din and Grogu. So he can’t explain why he doesn’t move away in time to skirt the contact when Din reaches out to him. 

He has plenty of time to see it coming when Din rocks his weight back for a moment and reaches out with his hand across the width of the Dejarik board. Luke can see the approach of fingers, the intention clear in movements, and yet the Jedi neither leans away nor slaps away the touch of the Mandalorian. He simply stares, frozen and wide-eyed, and then Din’s fingers are sliding against his jaw. The thoughts in his head go silent.

Din’s bare hand is warm. Luke notes this in some calm part of his mind. He can feel the warmth of the Mandalorian’s body radiating from his fingertips as Din’s fingers skate against his jaw. His fingers fit in just against the side of Luke’s neck and under his ear, and Luke still isn’t moving.

“I’m fond of you,” Din says, cool and composed like he’s telling Luke the weather for tomorrow.

“What?” Luke blurts. That’s all he has air for before his lungs are empty, and he has no functioning knowledge of how to remedy it.

Din continues staring, but Luke can’t read anything from his expression. He looks as if he’s considering something, or maybe like he’s bored. It would be easy to read Din’s thoughts and emotions from the skin-on-skin contact, but without the Manalorian’s consent, Luke has to put up strong force shields to avoid it. So, Luke has no idea what Din is thinking, even when Din takes a breath like he’s decided something.

“Can I kiss you?” Din asks suddenly, and Luke’s left staring, eyes wide with shock at the unexpected question. 

There’s a beat of time, a breath of silence while Luke coordinates his thoughts into coherency. Then:

“Yes.” And Din leans in and brushes his lips against Luke’s.

It’s an awkward angle. Din has to lean awkwardly over the board and Luke is inexperienced, so Din’s mouth is pressed against a corner of Luke’s lips more than lined up properly. His mouth is softer than Luke expected, his lips faintly chapped from the low humidity of the ship, and then Din’s drawing back, and Luke takes a breath. 

He’s not sure he’s still alive at all, would be certain he’s dead if not for the rapid pace his heart is thumping. Everything feels clear yet very distant. Din’s hand is still against his face. There are strands of dark hair brushing his forehead, tangling with his own blond pieces. His mouth is damp, warm on alternate breaths by Din’s exhales.

Din just kissed him.

Din Djarin just kissed him.

And Luke let him.

“Are you okay?” Din asks. His voice sounds weird, a lower, rougher register than normal. Luke isn’t sure exactly because his heart is speeding into overdrive like an A-wing in his chest.

“What?” Luke asks lamely.

Din laughs. It’s a tiny sound, a huff of air more than anything. Luke doesn’t think he would notice at all except that the Mandalorian is so close that Luke can feel the breath against his face.

“Can I do it again?” Din asks, and Luke’s head is moving on his own accord, nodding in agreement.

Din aims better this time, and his lips linger long enough for Luke to observe the weight of his mouth and softness of his lips. He also notices the heat of Din’s skin and the quick inhale he takes through his nose. Luke can feel his own skin heating up, his cheeks flushing a color spreading from his face to his neck before Din pulls away again.

“I wasn’t paying attention to the game,” Din admits, leaning back enough that Luke can meet his eyes as Din draws his hand away. “I was thinking about doing that instead. Sorry.”

There’s a delay in Din’s words. Luke thinks perhaps the other is giving him a chance to respond, to offer some eloquent response or troubled exit. But he can’t remember how to speak. His skin is prickling hot though it’s not unpleasant, and he can’t stop staring at Din’s mouth. 

“Luke?” He hears Din call his name and drags his gaze up, pinning his gaze on Din’s eyes instead of his mouth.

Din takes a breath. “Are you fond of me too?”

Luke stares at Din for a long moment -- the messy curls of his dark hair, the concerned focus in his eyes, the unconscious part of his lips. The fabric cape around the curve of his throat, the shining beskar of his protective chest plate, and the mudhorn signet on his right pauldron. All the separate pieces that make Din who he is though the details are so commonplace. Luke has never really looked at them properly before. The visual familiarity is enough to wipe all uncertainty from his mind to draw a conclusion from his mind.

“Yes,” Luke answers.

**Author's Note:**

> Please let me know your thoughts. Before you get on my case about "attachments," Leia mentions in the TLJ novelization Luke did away with the no attachments rule. Also, he was training Leia in the movies, and she was married and had a child with Han.
> 
> ANYWAY, I'm obsessed with these two right now. You can chat with me at ziltoidscoffeeshop.tumblr.com. I have another account with a similar name to this ao3 account, but that's mostly kpop (lol).


End file.
